David Lighty was not the most heralded player from Thad Matta’s stellar 2006 recruiting class. He was a scrappy defender and athlete, but the headlines went to fellow freshmen Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr.

David was the 6th man, and a guy that Coach Matta could depend on for rebounds and solid defensive play. He certainly didn’t ‘light’ it up in terms of point production(3.7ppg as a frosh). Now, Matta is having the last laugh. Lighty is Ohio State’s Mr. Dependable. He isn’t just playing the role of lock-down defender. He’s playing the role of leader, veteran, and clutch everything. So when the undefeated Buckeyes’ backs are against the wall – they turn to that old, weathered 6th man who seems to do no wrong when his team needs him the most.

COLUMBUS: The second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes were well into their three-hour bus ride home from Wednesday night's victory at Michigan. The TV sets in the luxury coach were tuned to No. 1 Duke's game at Florida State.

Thad Matta simply reloaded after losing Evan Turner to the NBA. The trade was Evan for Aaron Craft, Jordan Sibert, Deshaun Thomas, J.D. Weatherspoon, and Jared Sullinger. The other 4 starters returned from last season. Obviously, the expectations were high coming into the 2011 season, but could anyone have expected Ohio State to be THIS good?

After starting 2-0 in the Big Ten with a win @ Iowa last night - the Buckeyes are sitting at number 2 in the polls, and in prime position for what many expect to be a possible #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.